This weekend has brought some fearful, discouraging developments.
- Coronavirus has made its way into our family circle. I won’t say who to protect their privacy, but…it’s no longer an abstract fear. It’s here.
- An old friend has suffered a serious drug overdose due to depression and hopelessness. I’ll call this a second-order COVID effect related to isolation and loss of normalcy.
- The US has passed 12M known cases, 260,000 deaths and accelerating. The holidays are just going to add fuel to the fire.
- My dad is still in lockdown in his assisted living facility – it’s been about eight months since he’s been outside! He’s OK for now, but all these months of inactivity are weakening him and those with him, quickly. You can hear it in his voice.
It’s hard to stay optimistic in the face of all this. My natural tendency (personality plus training as an engineer) is to want to immediately fix things that are a problem. But some things can’t be fixed. I can make all the plans I want and it isn’t going to change anything on that list.
There *are* things to be thankful for, and I run them through my head fairly often now like a mantra. Our friends and family. Financial security. My successful knee surgery. A sound mind and reasonably-sound body. The beautiful grandkids. Plenty of books to read.
Here’s to focusing on the positives, even as it gets tougher to do so.